Gilbert’s syndrome – a hereditary liver disease that occurs against the background of an increase in serum free (unconjugated) bilirubin. Pathology is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner and is diagnosed mainly during puberty. The disease is benign.
Synonyms for the name of the disease: simple familial cholemia, idiopathic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia, non-hemolytic familial jaundice.
Like most other genetic ailments, Gilbert’s syndrome does not have a treatment that allows you to get rid of the problem once and for all. But with the help of the right tactics of therapy and diet, patients manage to achieve stable and long-term remission.
The disease is one of the most common genetic pathologies. It occurs in 5% of the world’s population. The disease often occurs in males aged 12-18 years or when puberty begins. For the first time, the disease became known thanks to the research of the French doctor Augustine Gilbert, which he published back in 1901.
During puberty in patients with Gilbert’s syndrome, male hormones affect the metabolism of bilirubin. They inhibit the process of utilization of the bile pigment, which leads to its accumulation in the body. Bilirubin intoxication is characterized by a toxic effect on the internal organs and structures of the central nervous system. Whereas in the case of normal liver function, free bilirubin binds, becomes non-toxic and leaves the body naturally without problems.
The disease is characterized by an undulating course, when periods of exacerbation of the disease are replaced by remission. For some time, patients do not suspect the presence of pathology, as they feel great.
Yana Botezat, a general practitioner, is briefly told, in simple words, what Gilbert’s syndrome is: